


Sing

by thepiedsniper



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Birthday, Captivity, F/M, Imprisonment, Missions Gone Wrong, Romance, kakasaku - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 13:11:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13636935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepiedsniper/pseuds/thepiedsniper
Summary: Sakura knew she had an annoying voice. But when it's revealed on her birthday that she can sing too, Kakashi's curiosity is piqued. After a mission goes wrong, the two have plenty of time to get to know each other.





	1. Chapter 1

"SAKURA!" Naruto's voice was impossibly loud, and yet the girl he was yelling to was blissfully unaware of it. Stamping his feet impatiently, he turned to the two shinobi that stood with him on the doorstep of their teammate's house. Sai and Kakashi stared back; one bemused, the other bored.

"I don't think she can hear me," Naruto observed.

"Well she's the only one in Konoha then," Kakashi replied, fighting the urge to rub his ears. He had almost forgotten that Naruto could reach decibels reserved for exploding tags. "You two just wait here, then." Wishing he weren't the only jounin among the three, he streaked away from Haruno Sakura's doorstep, up on to the neighbour's rooftop, then round to the back. Sakura's bedroom window had to be there somewhere. And there it was; two large glass frames that led to a small outside balcony. Kakashi smiled grimly as he landed on the platform without a sound. The next part would probably be the hardest…

Sakura was having a wonderful dream. She wasn't sure of any details, but there was an unmistakeable good feeling flowing through her body as she enjoyed her sleep in. That feeling evaporated when she heard a slight tap come from behind her curtains. "Sakura?" the voice was hesitant, and much quieter than the caterwaul she had been unable to hear before. Sitting up and throwing off her blanket, she tried to focus on the bright light coming in through her window. It was making a wavering silhouette against the drapes that protected her eyes from the worst of the glare. She decided that whoever the silhouette belonged to, she hated.

"What?" She snarled, pushing herself off the bed and toward the window in a single motion, before her body could fall back onto her sheets. She grabbed the curtains and flung them apart with force, hissing as the sun assaulted her eyes. "What the hell do you want?"

Kakashi took advantage of her few seconds of blindness to take in the girl's appearance. She wore red silk pyjamas and an expression that could have skinned a cat. Her light pink hair was tousled and looked almost as crazy as the man's own. Sakura had focused enough by now to identify who had disturbed her slumber. Considering her attitude could only get worse, Kakashi cut to the chase.

"Can you let Naruto and Sai in downstairs? We were told to bring you to the Hokage."

That got Sakura's attention a little. She stood a little straighter at the mention of her mistress, and opened the glass door to let Kakashi and the fresh air in. "You go through and let them in. I'll get changed," she said, turning away from the door and rummaging in her drawer for fresh clothes. "Business or pleasure?" she called over her shoulder before Kakashi left her room. She would need to know whether to wear her mission clothes or not. Kakashi wore his, but that was nothing to go by. Sakura doubted he owned anything else.

"Pleasure," Kakashi replied, sounding bored by this fact. "No mission today, so wear something nice."

Sakura grumbled to herself as her ex-sensei headed downstairs to unlock the door for Naruto and Sai. "I always wear something nice…"

Team Kakashi was assembled before the Hokage, but only Sakura's stance was respectful. The other shinobi knew this was a personal summons, and so even Sai was slouched and distracted. They had only been roped into this because they were Sakura's teammates, and had been convenient to find that morning.

"Sakura," Tsunade began, her commanding voice a little softer than it would have been with most, "I suppose you know what today is?"

Sakura did know. She had realised the significance of the date a little after Kakashi woke her up. "It's my birthday."

"Yes. You are now twenty, which means a lot as a shinobi. Your new civilian freedoms will often be restricted by your new responsibilities. You are officially an adult, though ninja are considered adults from the time they graduate the academy. You've always known the risks associated with the life you've chosen. Well, they're about to increase tenfold as you take on more challenging missions. Twenty is practically middle-aged for most shinobi. The Hokage's butterscotch eyes looked a little sad at this unfortunate truth.

"It is also around this time that most consider taking the jounin exam. As your mentor, I want to express my confidence in you, should you choose to apply in the near future." At this, her eyes moved from Sakura to the silver-haired man by the door. "Kakashi?" The man in question jolted theatrically at the address, and met her eyes with his one. "You were her teacher once too. Do you believe she is ready for the Jounin exam, if and when she chooses?"

Kakashi's looked up at the ceiling for a moment as if thinking hard. Did he think Sakura would cope as a Jounin? It seemed like yesterday that he was deliberating over making her a chunin. She had been so green back then, still young and weak. She was definitely stronger now. She had grown so much under Tsunade, and he had always felt a little guilty at how much more the Hokage had done for her than he had.

Kakashi looked into Sakura's no longer too-innocent green eyes for a moment before facing forward once more and nodding. "Ah," he said, by way of agreement, "she'd cope."

Once they had all been dismissed, the four went their separate ways. Sakura was going back home to have a shower and drop off the present Tsunade and Shizune had given her. Naruto was going to drag Sai to go and get ramen, and Kakashi was going to read  _Icha Icha Paradise_ and enjoy the rest of the day. At least that was his plan before he ran into Gai. Maito Gai's booming welcome of "Ah! My eternal rival!" almost made the man long for Naruto's over-excited yelling. Almost. As Gai fell into step with Kakashi's lazy stroll it became apparent he had something he wanted to talk about. Why else would the energetic giant force himself to walk so slowly? Not taking his eyes off the page, Kakashi asked him outright: "What is it, Gai?"

The big man scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly. "Ah, well. Nothing really…" Kakashi knew there was more to come, so remained silent.

"So- Lee's twentieth birthday went by pretty recently…" Gai said conversationally.

"I don't really remember, Gai." Kakashi wished he'd taken the other path from Hokage Tower. Gai was probably the only man in Konoha who would try to make small-talk with him.

"That's just what I'm saying!" Gai stopped walking and turned to face his silver-haired friend. "We couldn't really celebrate it because he can't drink sake or anything." His tone suggested that this was akin to being allergic to air. Kakashi had a bad feeling about this topic.

"So… it's Sakura's birthday today, isn't it?" Kakashi's bad feelings were always correct.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," he replied, knowing where this was leading and not liking it one bit.

Gai's face lit up as though he had suddenly had a great idea. "So I suppose she'll be celebrating at the local bar tonight, wont she?"

"I wouldn't know," said Kakashi, trying hard not to sound annoyed at this weird conversation, "I'm not her teacher anymore."

"Oh, she has to have a drink to celebrate the blossoming of her youth!" What was it about Gai that made everyone sound like flowers?

The copy-nin shrugged. "Gee, I guess."

Sadly the sarcasm was lost on the green-clad ninja. "Then that's settled! We'll all have to go out for a drink tonight! To celebrate Sakura's birthday!" He looked triumphant at having finally gotten his excuse.

Kakashi shrugged once more. "You'll have to ask her first if you want it to happen."

Gai's triumph was slightly dampened. He had hoped the other man would offer to ask. He was her old sensei after all. But then he spied the Yamanaka Flower Shop behind them and his youthful mind presented him with a solution. "Well alright; I will definitely invite everyone to the bar tonight, or else I will do five-hundred bench-presses!" With that, he turned to run back the way they had come. Before he sprinted off, he pointed a sausage-like finger at Kakashi. "You'll have to come too, of course." Kakashi rolled his eye and nodded- anything to get Gai to leave him alone.

Sakura was at the training ground, but she wasn't doing anything strenuous. She just wanted to be outside in the sun rather than inside somewhere. It was her birthday and she didn't have any missions or hospital shifts. She planned to soak up the peace and solitude until it got dark, then jog home for a bubble bath. At least that was her plan before she ran into Ino. Her sort-of best friend waved as she approached, a purple cosmos in her hand. Sakura sat up from where she had been watching the clouds, pulling blades of grass from her hair. Ino drew level with her and dropped the flower into her lap. "Happy birthday, billboard-brow," she said, grinning.

"Thanks," Sakura said as she delicately picked up the symbol of friendship. "Shouldn't you be working at the moment?"

"Lunch break," Ino explained as she sat down beside the pink-haired girl. "So I thought I'd take the time to ask you about your party."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I'm not having a party, you know that."

"I thought I knew that," Ino replied, "until Gai-brows walked into my shop and told me to tell you that you were. He said something about not 'wasting the springtime of your youth'. Basically, everyone's going to the bar tonight in your honour."

Sakura looked deep into Ino's milky blue eyes to see if this was a wind-up. "Gai-sensei said that I had to drink now just because I can?" The weird jounin had never seemed to care much about anyone other than Lee and Kakashi. She wondered what the catch was now.

"He didn't say you had to, he just said that everyone else over twenty would be." Ino smiled a devious smile. "But I personally think it's a good idea. You're only twenty once, and I've been waiting for you to grow up so I have someone to party with."

"Hey grandma, you're only two months older than me!" Sakura scowled at being treated like a child when her friend was practically the same age. "You're not the only one that's an adult now!"

Ino didn't fight back. She wanted Sakura to defend her right to drink. "Well if that's how you feel, then I guess you are celebrating tonight after all," she said casually as she stood and brushed herself off, "Good thing too, because I already told everybody." Her smile widened at Sakura's expression before she disappeared back toward town.

The other kunoichi was left sitting alone, holding her birthday flower and feeling as though she had been tricked.


	2. Chapter 2

The bar was packed with shinobi that night. Half of them were jounin that didn't even know Haruno Sakura- after all, she had just been Gai's excuse for a sake-fuelled night of fun. But there were a few that knew the pink-haired girl from her work with the Hokage, or through a rare medical mission. There were also the chunin and jounin Ino had invited- Sakura's peers from the academy that had already turned twenty. Shino, Ino, Tenten, Lee and Neji were either on the dance floor or at the bar, enjoying a mission-free evening with friends. Gai was already on his fifth sake- his face was getting redder and redder and his various challenges were getting more and more absurd. Kakashi was keeping out of his way and wishing he had never come. He had only done so to increase the number of people who actually knew the birthday girl, so her being used wouldn't seem quite so obvious. But as the girl in question hadn't shown up herself, the jounin was considering leaving the noisy bar for the privacy of home.

Just as he made his mind up to sneak out the back after the next round, he heard a loud cheer of "Happy Birthday, Sakura!" directed at the entrance. He spun around as people either returned to their drinks or made their way over. Sakura blushed a little at the small bit of attention she had gotten from the bar patrons and began talking to Ino and her friends. Kakashi noticed she was completely oblivious to the continued attention she was receiving from most of the male jounin. She was wearing a simple green dress that showed off her legs and definitely made her look twenty. Most of the men probably hadn't noticed her eye colour yet, but Kakashi knew it was perfectly complimented by the shade of the dress. As she spoke, she self-consciously tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and tried not to look nervous as Ino led her over to the bar. She caught Kakashi's eye and smiled wryly. "I see you got dragged into this too then?" she asked him.

Kakashi tried to look offended. "'Dragged'? I came here of my own free will to wish you a happy birthday, and you say 'dragged'."

"You already wished me happy birthday when you broke into my house this morning." Sakura's tone was pleasant, but her eyes suggested she still hadn't forgiven him for waking her.

"One: I didn't  _break_ in, you let me in. Two: I didn't actually say the words 'happy birthday'." Kakashi corrected, taking another sip of sake through his mask.

The bartender gave Sakura her own drink then, and the kunoichi eyed it speculatively. "Well, here's to you, Sensei." Toasting her old teacher, she took her first ginger mouthful of sake. She coughed a little, trying not to look too surprised at the burning taste. "And people drink this for fun?" she asked doubtfully.

A few hours and a few more sakes later, Sakura was enjoying herself a little more. She and Ino had reached and surpassed the tipsy stage, and were currently dancing to a song neither had heard before. A couple of braver jounin had gotten up to dance with them, and the whole bar was watching with amusement as Sakura tried to handle her first night drinking. The alcohol made her feel as though she'd been caught in a genjutsu. Dancing was only making her head spin faster, so she tottered over to the bar and rested her forehead in her arms. The bartender didn't even bother to ask her if she wanted another drink. Ino and a couple others followed her over, sitting on the stools or leaning against the wall. Ino looked just as breathless as Sakura, but was coping better. "So how'd you like your party?" she asked the green-faced ninja.

"I feel like all I've been doing is drinking," Sakura replied, looking over at her friend. "What do you do after you drink?"

"Throw up!" One shinobi called out.

Sakura smiled sarcastically amid the laughter. "Yeah, but what do you do between now and then? 'Cause I sure as hell am not drinking more!" More laughter.

Ino thought about it for a moment. What could they do other than drink and dance? What else  _was_ there? Then the blonde's eyes lit up with a mischievous grin that Sakura noticed and didn't like.

"I know what you could do, Sakura," she said. "How about you sing for everyone?"

Sakura wished she could disappear in the hooting laughter that surrounded her.

" _Can_ Sakura sing?" Lee asked incredulously.

"Oh yes, she's very good!" Ino nodded emphatically.

"Shut up, Ino," Sakura growled. She couldn't believe her oldest friend was doing this to her.

"Go on then, Sakura: sing us a song." The other ninja were eager for entertainment, even if it was clearly at Sakura's expense. The poor girl's face was as pink as her hair as she raised her hands defensively in front of her. "Really, I don't sing."

"I've never heard Sakura sing before." The calm, quiet voice belonged to Kakashi. Even though he was as curious as everybody else, he knew Sakura was looking for an out. "And I've known her for six years."

"Well I've known her even longer, and I say she can and does!" Ino glared at the one-eyed shinobi, determined to have her way.

Sakura was fed up with this topic. "Ino- I can sing, but I don't anymore. Leave. It.  _Alone_." The look she gave her friend was scarily similar to the Hokage's when she was pissed. A few men stepped back, but Ino simply flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and said, "Fine then, Sakura. I was only trying to help you 'cause everyone thinks your voice is really annoying."

Sakura looked as though she'd been slapped. The silence that followed this statement was increased by the ending of the song being played. When the next one began, everyone suddenly had the urge to go and dance to it. Kakashi watched as Sakura continued to stare at Ino with a hurt expression. Ino did look a little apologetic. She knew her friend was self-conscious about a lot of things she couldn't help. But Genma was trying to lead her away (probably in case Sakura snapped and killed her), so she simply mumbled "Sorry, Sakura," before turning and leaving.

Willing herself not to care, but knowing the sting of the last conversation would follow her home, Sakura got up off her stool to leave. The 'party' would continue without her. In fact everybody seemed so determined to ignore her now that it would probably be a few minutes before anybody noticed her absence.

"Bye, Sakura." Kakashi hadn't made to leave for the dance floor, but had continued to watch his deflated ex-student. She was almost at the door when she spun around to see who had spoken. Seeing Kakashi, she gave a tight-lipped smile and a wave before leaving through the door. The poor girl probably wouldn't speak for a week. Maybe he should thank Ino after all? Shaking his head, Kakashi returned to his drink. Just last week he had scolded Gai for not knowing anything about his two teammates other than Lee. He realised then that he didn't know much about his own female teammate. He had never given her one-on-one training like he had with Sasuke and then Naruto. He had never thought she would amount to much, and so had allowed himself to be pleasantly surprised when she did. But her success was not to his credit. He had told Ino he had known her for six years, but in the end that didn't mean a thing. In all those years he had never bothered to ask her a question not directly related to either training, Sasuke or Naruto. Other than the first question he'd ever asked her, but he hadn't cared much about her answer at the time. Perhaps it was this guilt that made him want to know more about this first little piece of information he had received about the pert chunin. Could she really sing? And why wouldn't she anymore?


	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi decided that this was probably the most underhanded thing he had ever applied his ninja skills to. He was back outside Sakura's room for the second time in two days. But this time, he didn't want Sakura to find him. If Sakura realised he was out there, then she would probably kill first and asks questions later. And Kakashi really wasn't there for any perverted reason. He wasn't trying to look, just listen. And it was for a noble cause- he wanted to find out more about his old student, maybe even help her. He refused to acknowledge the fact that really he was just curious about Sakura. Damn Ino had sparked his interest last night, and like a dog with a bone, he hadn't been able to get the intrigue out of his head. Sadly he had also been drinking last night, and so the best plan his sleepless mind had come up with that morning was to risk life and limb to hide out on Sakura's balcony to see if she sang in the shower.

He could hear the gush of falling water, but it was drowning out most other sounds around him. He thought he could hear a high-pitched warbling that might have been singing, but Sakura's en-suite was too far from the window for confirmation. He took a step forward and pressed his ear against the glass screen, trying to make out any words to the music. Was that Sakura? Was it even a language Sakura could speak? Then again, Kakashi didn't know much about her. She could speak several languages for all he knew. Feeling like Jiraiya, he cupped his hands around his ear and shifted his feet to a more relaxed position. Were he not slightly hung-over, he might have noticed the little carved frog statue by his foot before he kicked it. Kakashi winced as a tiny bell on the frog's neck made a small tinkling sound. To him it sounded like a clock tower at noon. He nervously pressed his ear against the glass again. The water was still running. Surely Sakura wasn't skilled enough to have noticed. She was only twenty after all.

Sakura had woken up to a world of pain. Her head felt like she had been banging it against the wall all night, and her stomach was trying to rebel against the cruel way she had treated it. The pain in her feet from dancing had somehow been increased, as had her sensitivity to light and sound. She felt like a worm; one that had been stepped on repeatedly. But the hot water of the shower was soothing her throbbing head, as was the opera music playing very softly on her radio. 'Music soothes the savage beast', and Sakura was feeling pretty savage. Mainly toward stupid Ino-pig for telling everyone she could sing. That was none of their business! If she wanted to sing, she would. She just hoped the small number of people that had found out didn't pester her about it. Surely they would all have the sense to either forget the whole thing, or at least never bring it up again.

Sakura was hung-over, listening to music, and having a shower; but she was still a ninja. And a damn good one- anybody could see that if they ever bothered to look beyond the pink hair. She had improved by so much in just the last year alone. So when she heard the distinctive tinkling of the little bell-frog Naruto had given her once, her senses practically sparked with awareness. There was someone on her balcony. There was someone on  _her_ balcony. And she was in the shower. Trying not to move her head too much, she stepped out from under the hot water and wrapped her pink bath-towel around herself. If it was a peeping-tom (or Naruto), then she was damned if she was going to reward them for their efforts. Then, breathing slowly and evenly, she formed the seals for a shadow clone. She didn't have the massive amount of chakra that her blond teammate had, but she did have the precision and control to make a single clone materialise in a very specific location. Here in the place she knew best, it took very little effort to place a carbon-copy of herself right beside her intruder on the balcony.  _Bet they weren't expecting that,_ she thought to herself as she de-towelled once more and got back in her lovely shower. The clone would fill her in when it destroyed itself.

The sharp  _puff_ that signalled the arrival of a kage bunshin made the copy-nin spin around at once, hands still raised to his ear. What he saw nearly made his eye fall out of his head. There was Sakura. She had just created a shadow clone, a jutsu he didn't even know she'd learnt. She was dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel. And she had such a look of surprise and anger that suggested he was about to die very soon.

"Sakura," he said, trying to speak both rapidly and sternly. She had never hit him before, and had always responded to the sensei-voice. "There's a very good explanation for why I'm here." He thought he might just die anyway if he had to say 'it's not what it looks like!'

"Really, Kakashi? And what makes you think I want to hear it? You're trespassing, so I'm well within my right to attack you. Or even tell the Hokage and get  _her_ to attack you." Sakura's look suggested she wasn't joking, and that she might actually enjoy ripping his lanky body into tiny shreds. The Tsunade threat made Kakashi gulp. Granted, it would stop her pestering him about being the next Hokage, but it would also mean that his beloved  _Icha Icha_ books would be taken away forever and labelled a 'bad influence'. Oh, and she would drop him in a suicide-mission before he could say 'unfair'.

"Seriously Sakura, I wasn't trying to look…" Now that she was in front of him in such a state, it was hard not to look. It was even harder not to think about the way the water reflected the sun and made her pale skin sparkle, or the way her damp hair was about three shades darker than normal, and looked almost crimson. Or the way the little pink towel really was  _very_ little, and wasn't doing nearly as much to preserve her modesty as Sakura would have liked.  _No, stop thinking about anything!_

"Then why in the hell are you here?" Sakura wasn't screaming at him, probably because she didn't want to attract the eyes of others. "I'm hung-over, so I have a splitting headache even as a clone, and all I really wanted was a nice,  _quiet_ shower to drown in. So just tell my why you're here,  _ero-sensei,_ so I can tell the original me to relax because she's not being burgled."

"I was trying to hear if you sang in the shower!" Kakashi admitted. The truth was better than the assumption he was spying on her, right?

Perhaps not. Whatever excuse Sakura had been expecting, it wasn't that. Her green eyes widened, then narrowed to slits. Without a word, Sakura disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Kakashi felt horrible for abusing her trust like that. He had been the only one that stuck up for her last night, and now it seemed like he was just as stupidly eager to hear her sing as the rest. What did it matter if she sang or not? Did he really care if her voice had a more pleasant side to it? Was it really worth hurting the kunoichi? Sighing with defeat, Kakashi's own shadow clone dematerialised from the balcony of a girl who didn't deserve that sort of pain the day after her birthday.

The Sakura that had stayed in the shower nearly slipped and broke her neck as her doppelganger disappeared, leaving her the knowledge of what had transpired out on her balcony.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI?!"


	4. Chapter 4

Solo missions were generally quite easy. If it only needed one ninja to complete it, then there wasn't any likelihood the mission would involve fighting for one's life. Solo missions bored Kakashi for this reason, even though as one of the most skilled jounin he got the slightly more dangerous ones, and he liked the independence. But for now, he would sign up for any and every solo mission he could. He had delivered antiques to the Water Country, captured small-time bandits in the Tea Country. At the moment he was doing a recon mission on a group of rogue ninjas who were causing trouble to the Fire Country itself. They were pretty tough, but he didn't have to actually fight them. That would be left up to another group acting on his information- probably ANBU. So all he needed to do was stay out of sight and watch a band of thugs terrorise the countryside. He loved these stupid, easy missions at the moment.

Because it meant he didn't have to work with a certain teammate that he was currently avoiding.

Sakura hated having no missions. Okay, it was alright for a little while. She could go shopping, tidy the house, catch up with people. But she and the rest of Team Kakashi had been out of action for awhile now, and she was getting restless. There were small missions to keep Naruto and Sai occupied, but she had just been dumped on the hospital roster until her teacher stopped with his solo mission spree and came back to lead them. That was why, even though Sakura felt like she hadn't been out of her nurse uniform since her birthday, she was still glad to be working away from her team. Because it was clear her captain was avoiding her, and she didn't want things to go fatally wrong because of that. So she settled into her routine so well that even when the Hokage summoned her from work, she didn't bother to change from a nurse to a medic-nin. She guessed she was in a bit of denial like that.

Kakashi hadn't expected Tsunade to act so quickly on his information. He had only just returned when she summoned the group that would take care of the situation. He mentally prepared to recount everything he had discovered about the ninjas to the ANBU squad. He hoped they were shinobi he recognised; familiar people were easier to convey information to. When the door to the Hokage's office opened, though, he was glad his mask hid most of his surprise. They were familiar; but they weren't ANBU.

"I figured it would be easier for you to just  _show_ the clean-up squad rather than simply tell them what you knew." Tsunade looked a little smug at having got one over on the great copy-nin. Kakashi simply nodded, too sheepish to look at anybody but unable to miss the fact that Naruto looked like he was about to go  _nine-tails_  on him and Sakura was still dressed like a nurse. So she had been conscripted to the hospital during their dry spell? Or was she a themed stripper now? That thought reminded him of the last time he had properly looked at the kunoichi, when she had been all-but naked and dripping wet. Before he let his imagination and in-depth knowledge of the Icha-Icha books distract him, he shook his silver head very slightly and turned to listen to Tsunade's brief. It was mostly for the other's benefit, but it didn't hurt to get all the facts. Start tomorrow, follow Kakashi, kill or capture, don't leave any loose ends. Simple, yet more interesting than espionage. They would be fine.

Sakura met the rest of the team at the gate very early in the morning. She got there after Sai and even Naruto, which was uncharacteristic of her. But she still managed to get there before Kakashi, who arrived about thirty seconds later and barely said a word as they moved out. They covered most of the ground in silence, not bothering to stop until night was falling and they were almost upon the rogues' current hiding place. Finally Kakashi sat down and told them what he knew.

"There are seven of them, so it's an unusually-large group. Five of them are of each different chakra nature: wind, earth, lightning, water, fire. The other two are a taijutsu fighter and a user of specialised moves and genjutsu. He's their leader. Now, that being said, don't think they'll only use chakra-type and physical attacks. They've got an arsenal of weapons that is frankly admirable."

He pulled out a scroll with all their pictures on it and pointed out each ninja and their ability. The leader was the shortest of the group, but also looked the meanest. His red hair was like a beacon of danger and his smile in the picture was almost teasing. Sakura made a mental note to leave him to Kakashi. "And that's pretty much it. It's 'kill or capture', so don't bother being dainty about it. Get some sleep. We attack at dawn." With that he finally looked them all over, to check they were ready for tomorrow. Sai looked calm and ANBU-trained as always. Naruto looked eager and excited, and Sakura- Sakura was looking right back at him with concern, checking him over too. He supposed it made sense, considering they hadn't seen him for ages and anything could have happened. But he was still pleasantly surprised to see the cherry blossom was being as professional about everything as he wasn't being. He gave her a quick, eye-crinkling smile that he knew always made her smile back, before rolling into his sleeping bag and closing his eyes. Tomorrow suddenly looked like child's play.

Dawn came cloudy. Team Kakashi grumbled at the poor visibility and likelihood of rain. Rain destroyed traction as well as scents. It was a ninja's bane. Kakashi led his young group through the undergrowth to the edge of a large clearing. Tents that looked more nomadic than ninja lay within, as well as the people that inhabited them- they definitely looked ninja. Kakashi had explained that a sudden, direct approach was the only way they could attack. If they attempted to set traps around the perimeter of the clearing, then they would probably just end up setting off the enemy's own. Naruto was especially cheerful at this news. 'Direct' was his middle name.

As soon as all seven ninja had left the tents and were visible, Kakashi carefully aimed at the leader's head and threw a volley of kunai. The red-haired shinobi let the first graze him before dodging the others. He was quick and lean, clearly younger than most of the others. That suggested to Sakura that he had to be really powerful to command them. Leaping forward, knowing that they would only get flushed out by the element-users if they lingered, the team entered the fray with gusto. Naruto had made a beeline for the dark-skinned lightning user. Even though his wind-natured skills were still imperfect, he had come a long way and didn't want Kakashi to have the disadvantage of fighting the same chakra-type. Sai launched an aerial attack that kept most of the others busy, and focused personally on the taijutsu ninja. Sai was better at ranged attacks, but Sakura was a medic-nin and had to try not to get injured too badly. Physical attacks were risky as it was, but with such a high number of enemies, she had opted to fight without trying to focus on only one if she could help it.

Kakashi had the leader. The man was strong and very fast. He knew it was dangerous to fight a genjutsu alone, but Sakura would be keeping an eye on him as she went. In any case, the man didn't seem to want to use such techniques, and Kakashi could fight off any weak ones with his Sharingan.

"Aren't you the famous copy-nin Hatake Kakashi?" the shinobi asked curiously as he sent a swarm of chakra birds at his face. Kakashi used the replacement technique before the birds turned into shuriken and struck him. Kakashi knew his red eye had already given that fact away. He was in every underground bingo book between here and the Hidden Lightning. His bounty was pretty damn high, too. That was probably why his enemy was fighting one-on-one without using his strongest attacks. The Hatake genius formed a shadow clone whilst among the trees, then sent the fake back out to fight the leader. The original took the opportunity to observe the rest of the battle.

Naruto had finished the lightning user and moved on to the lanky water-nin. He was using a combination of weapons and taijutsu, unable to get close enough with his rasengan. Sai had maimed the earth and wind ninjas, and was at least keeping the brawler occupied. Sakura was dodging the fire-nin as best she could, throwing the occasional kunai but unable to do much more than that. Kakashi knew she hated being unable to risk as much as the men when she fought. It wasn't in her nature to sit back and let others suffer for her. But she was their only medic, and without her they would risk a lot more. Especially when outnumbered like they were. Kakashi knew she was important to the team in the way she had always wanted to be. And he was glad she felt useful, even when she couldn't do more than distract one or two enemies for the others to take care of.

Suddenly feeling a burst of information, he knew that his shadow clone had just been killed. Quickly sifting through its memories, the last seconds made his heart stop. The leader had noticed the female ninja's reserved fighting and mistaken it for weakness. Peering out from behind the tree he was hiding behind, Kakashi couldn't believe the man wouldn't try to find  _him_ : the biggest threat. He risked being caught unawares if he let the real Kakashi go. But there he was, edging closer to his fire-using ally, using Sakura's distraction to his advantage. Kakashi was moving before he even understood the danger his teammate was in. He wouldn't let her become another Obito or Rin. He couldn't lose another so easily. She was only twenty…

Sakura was fighting some fiery blond who kept shouting out insults and pick-up lines alternatively. He was getting on her last nerve and it was all she could do not to jump in and pummel him. But she kept her cool amongst his flame and kept up the ducking and weaving for her team's sake. She couldn't heal them if she needed healing herself. So she focused really, really hard on not killing the bastard. In fact, she was focusing so hard that when she realised the whistle of metal flying through the air was getting louder, she knew it would be too late to do much about it. She spun to face it, adrenaline heightening her senses but shock keeping her from moving. There was that horrible smile she had seen before on paper. It was taunting her, rooting her to the spot as her death sailed toward her.

But suddenly the smile was gone, the shock of red hair replaced by a curious red swirl. Was that her blood? The weapons should have hit her by now, though she didn't feel anything. That troubled her; if she was numb then it meant the injuries were so horrific, her body didn't want her mind to feel them. But then she breathed in and everything became clear. The red swirl sat on a field of green. The green formed a torso which sprouted arms and legs and finally the back of a head. The head looked grey below the clouds but Sakura knew it was really silver.

Kakashi.

"Ka-" Sakura managed before the image before her trembled. Her medic self took over as she put two and two together and realised weapons don't just disappear from the equation. Stepping out from behind the man's protective stance, she assessed the damage done. Kakashi's Sharingan meant he had time to deflect most of the kunai and shuriken thrown at him. The ones that had hit had missed his vital organs and didn't look worrying. Kakashi did worse shaving, she was sure. So then why was he trembling? His breathing was laboured and his eyes were narrowed in pain. Sakura put one hand on his back to steady him, aware that time was of the essence; there were at least two enemies that would strike soon if she didn't get them away. But she had to find the source of the problem. Her eyes roved her ex-sensei's front, looking for something potentially-lethal. He was riddled with needles and looked like a porcupine, but they had all struck his vest and wouldn't have even made contact. Wait: that one had hit just below his right collarbone, not on his vest. Was that the problem? If it was then she could move him. Taking the chance that there was nothing else hurting him that might be made worse by her, she grabbed him by the arms and whisked him out of the clearing.

They were up a tree; not too far away, but in a place that would give her enough time to help. The senbon sticking into his flesh could have hit a nerve or it could have been poisoned. Kakashi was shuddering and sweating, so Sakura decided it was most likely the latter.

"Kakashi," she said in her best medic-voice. "You're gonna be okay. I've found out what's wrong with you." As she talked she ripped the fabric around the needle. "You have to hold still for now. The poison's spreading but I'm going to stop it." She looked into Kakashi's eyes to make sure he understood. He was looking at her and his eyes seemed clearer. He was trying to do as she said. Gently allowing chakra to flow to the very tips of her fingers, she placed them around the wound- like the start of a sealing charm. Green fire flowed into Kakashi's chest as she gently rotated her wrist as though unscrewing a lid. Finally a glowing green ring surrounded the tipped needle, pulsating as it drew the poison back from the jounin's veins. If he didn't move for a while, he would be okay.

A  _crack_ from the battlefield suggested this was unlikely if Sakura stayed. She had to go and help Naruto and Sai, in case they were hurt also. Placing her hand on her leader's shoulder, she gave him a reassuring smile before springing away, back toward the battlefield. Kakashi, lying helpless as he was, almost believed it. But then he heard an all-too familiar cry of surprise cut off suddenly, and he knew reassurance wouldn't be enough to save them.


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura woke to the sound of running water. It was not unpleasant, but as a ninja any unfamiliar noise upon waking suggested something very bad indeed. Her eyes had to adjust to the darkness of the area, so her first guess was that night had fallen. Then she realised the only source of light came not from stars, but from a smallish barred window to her left. She was captured.

Eyes fixed on the window, she sat up groggily and began to crawl toward it. The back of her head felt like somebody had split it open and it was only just beginning to heal over. Her mouth was dry and tasted like blood. She reached the wall and pulled herself up onto shaky legs. Grabbing the bars of the window for support, she peered out at an empty corridor. The whole place was made of the same stone, roughly-hewn into a living-space.  _A cave then,_ she thought to herself, trying to see further down either way. Straining her eyes in the gloom so much that they hurt, she nearly jumped and hit her head again when her ears picked up a low groan behind her. Spinning around, fists raised defensively, she prepared for whatever horror had been placed in there with her. As it turned out, the only horror she had to prepare for was her ex-sensei.

He looked horrible, and Sakura knew why. Her seal had broken the second he had been captured and moved. The green ring was gone and now whatever poison was left would be spreading back into his body. Stumbling toward him, Sakura fell to her knees and placed a pair of glowing green hands on his chest. The damage was still reversible, though if he kept being moved it would take forever to heal.

"Hi Sensei," she said softly as his eyelids fluttered open. He stared at her in bleary-eyed confusion for a second before remembering what had happened. He had been poisoned. She had healed him for the most part. They had caught her. They had caught him. He wasn't sure about Naruto and Sai.

"What's the damage?" he asked her as her attention returned to his chest. His voice was hoarse and he would have killed for a sip of the water he could hear nearby.

"Well my seal broke before I could get back to you, so you've still got a bit of poison in your system. Nothing I can't handle, but if I hadn't been captured too, you'd be a goner." Even as Sakura said it she realised it was true. That was probably why they had captured her; to keep Kakashi alive. "Why didn't they kill you?" she asked brusquely.

Kakashi coughed quietly, and Sakura blushed. "Not that I'm not happy they didn't, it's just that you were totally vulnerable out there, and they could have ended it easily. Why go to the trouble of capturing you?"

"Well, because I was so 'vulnerable', it was pretty easy to get me alive, and my bounty's more valuable like that."  _He was so manner-of-fact. Didn't the idea of being kept alive now to be killed slowly later scare him?_

"I'm sorry you had to save me again," Sakura said quietly, unable to look at him. "I should've been able to dodge that attack, but instead I just got you in trouble." She felt like a fool for thinking she would suddenly become super-ninja after turning twenty.

"That's okay. You're the medic; we're supposed to go out of our way to protect you." He wasn't sure why he had worded that so clinically. He certainly hadn't been thinking 'protect the medic' when he'd seen the blades heading toward her.

Sakura was saved the trouble of responding to this cold statement by the sound of approaching footsteps. "What'll happen?" she whispered, trying not to sound as scared as she felt. She had never been captured like this before.

"They'll take good care of you because you're a medic." Kakashi could see the panic in the girl's eyes, and tried to keep her focused. "Stop healing me for now. They're probably coming to get you to heal one of their comrades. I know you don't want to, not after they just fought us. But it's better if you co-operate for now. All you have to do is stop the short-term problems and make them look better. Tell them there's nothing you can do for the pain." Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief at her nervous smile. Even when the windowed-wall crumbled away to reveal the earth-user with a leering grin, Sakura didn't falter. She allowed herself to be escorted away, only once looking back at her teammate with a warning look that clearly said 'don't move until I get back'.

The pink-haired girl was led down the dim corridor to a better-lit room where the other shinobi were waiting. Most of them looked like hell; Wind-nin had a deep gash on one arm from the talons of Sai's eagle. The taijutsu giant was covered in minor cuts and bruises, and was having trouble walking. But the worst-looking of the group was the lanky one with the water chakra. There was a gaping wound in his chest that was distinctly rasengan-shaped. He was yelling with pain as the leader leant over him and tried to force him down. With a rough shove from her escort, Sakura fell to the ground across from the red-haired man. He really did look quite young, perhaps only a few years older than she.

"Here she is, Aoi." The earth-nin addressed the young man, and Sakura finally learnt his name. 'Blue': nice.

Aoi looked up from his comrade's wound and eyed Sakura like she was an interesting plant that might be edible or poisonous. "Have you ever been forced to heal an enemy?" He asked her, watching her closely.

Sakura refused to be cowed. "No," she said levelly, "but I take it that I'm about to start?"

Aoi shook his bloody hair and laughed. "Correct. Start with Hayseed here; he got the worst of it from your blond friend."

Sakura remembered what Kakashi had said about being treated well _. So far so good_. All eyes were on her, but nobody was moving. She placed her hands over the hole in Hayseed's chest and began knitting the flesh back together. Rather than start with the vital organs, she smoothed the skin over first, making it look pretty and presentable even if it was still a mess beneath. Then she began fixing the rest of him so that it wouldn't kill him straightaway, but it wouldn't do much to help him later on. He had stopped screaming, but he was still groaning in agony.

"There's nothing I can do for the pain," she said flatly, still working on making the wound look good.

Pain burst across her right cheek, forcing her head to the left. Her neck felt broken and her eyes saw only sparkles. When they cleared, she saw Aoi with his hand raised threateningly, ready to hit her again. "Don't lie now. Fix everything or I'll leave you so bruised your friend won't be able to recognise you. Then I'll start on him." His smile returned to his youthful face, so twisted and evil Sakura was too scared to even think about disobeying. She bent over Hayseed once more, using more chakra and doing a more thorough job of erasing the pain. Finally the thin man looked peaceful and Sakura was nearly spent. It was all she could do not to pass out beside him. The other ninja were jeering at her now, acting more boldly after their leader had beaten her down. Sakura knew the right side of her face was probably bright purple, and touched it gently with chafed fingers.

"Don't even think about healing that," The man's voice was sweet but threatening as he placed his fingers around hers, gently brushing her cheek. Then he pressed down hard and unexpectedly, making her gasp and wince. "I want you to cringe every time I do that." His face was so close to hers now that she couldn't even see the hungry look in the eyes of the others.

Aoi moved away once more, waving a bored hand in her direction. "Take her back to the cell. She's almost used up and the others can wait."

The rock-manipulator dragged her back to the little window in the wall and broke it down once more. Sakura stepped in as the rocks re-moulded themselves.

Kakashi looked over from where he was lying as the wall grated away once more. Sakura was in profile, head lowered. She looked tired, even in the gloom. As the little light that came through the wall shrank down to window size once more, Sakura leaned against the wall and slid down it into a sitting position. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she seemed unaware of Kakashi's presence. "So how did it go?" he asked, trying to engage her in conversation. He wasn't a medic, but he supposed the first time healing an enemy would be weird and difficult.

Sakura raised her head a little, but didn't turn to face him. Instead she looked away, back toward the window. That wasn't like her. Kakashi struggled to sit up and get closer to her. That did get her attention. She whipped her head around with a stern expression as Kakashi flailed weakly on the floor. Then he saw what she had been hiding.

"Ouch." The bruise looked gruesome. Purple blotches outlined in green ran along her cheek in five unmistakeable finger shapes. She turned away once more at his horrified expression.

"What happened?" he couldn't keep all of the anger out of his voice. He expected Sakura to start crying to him as she did when she was twelve, but when she spoke her voice was flat and dead.

"I told them there was nothing I could do for the pain. They disagreed."

Kakashi winced. It was his advice that had gotten the girl injured like that. "I'm sorry," he told her, speaking low and sincere. "For everything," he added, remembering that he had a lot more to apologise for.

Sakura gave a small shrug, then, as if realising something, edged along the wall toward the jounin.

"I almost forgot about you," she said quietly, placing her hands on his chest once more. Her right cheek was still away from him.

Green light sparked in her hands and faded. "You're out of chakra," Kakashi said.

"Not quite," Sakura replied, her voice still flat. She tried to summon chakra to her hands again, but failed.

"Stop," Kakashi scolded, wishing he were strong enough to push her away. "You can't do it, so stop trying."

"I  _can_ do it; I just don't have enough left over to focus in my hands." Removing her palms from Kakashi's chest, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "Luckily Tsunade-sama taught me to focus smaller amounts in other places."

Kakashi tried to see her expression in the darkness, but it was impossible to tell what she was doing. Then her smile lit up like a green ghost, dazzling him. "Super chakra lips," she said simply, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Wha-?" Kakashi managed before Sakura's lips touched the bare, tender skin around his senbon-wound. He breathed in quickly. Her lips were hotter than her hands had ever been. They burned his skin, but not in a way he found at all unpleasant. The tightness around his chest eased up and his breathing became deeper, though it still shuddered slightly. At least it wasn't because of the poison anymore.

Sakura continued to press her lips to his collarbone, giving the last of her strength to him. It was easier to concentrate chakra at a small point like the lips, hence why it was so much warmer. She could do this for longer, without wasting any of her precious life-force in the process. But soon it became harder to focus. The chakra faded from her lips and she collapsed forward onto Kakashi's chest. It didn't hurt him like he thought it would. The soft pressure of her head on his torso was quite comforting, actually. After a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes too. He was still weak, his body still burned with the damage done by the poison, and his head was aching from the cold, hard stone. But he could honestly say he felt better in that moment than he ever had before…


	6. Chapter 6

Back in Konoha, Naruto and Sai were in Tsunade's office. Everyone present looked upset at the news they had brought with them. After Kakashi and Sakura had been captured the rogue-nin retreated, happy with what they had. Naruto had wanted to follow them immediately, but Sai had talked him out of it, insisting with his cool logic that it would be better to return and assemble a better group. They had run back without stopping, but Naruto was still ready to leave as soon as Tsunade had gotten everyone together. The Hokage was trying hard not to be as upset as she had the right to be. She had the duty to put on a brave face first and foremost. Assembled as recovery were Shizune, Naruto, Sai, Ino, Kiba, Shino and Hinata. Shizune would lead the team as their jounin. Ino was there as her back-up medic. Team Kurenai were trackers, and Naruto and Sai had intimate knowledge of the situation. Lee had fought like death to come too, but had been forcefully-rejected by the Hokage. Naruto had promised him they would do their best without him.

After a quick de-briefing the shinobi left, streaking through the trees and trying not to imagine what they might be racing toward.

Kakashi and Sakura couldn't sleep for as long as they would've liked. They were kicked awake after a few hours and bound in heavy chains. The rogues needn't have bothered shackling them; they were too tired to fight, even though it was clear they were being moved further away from help. A horse and wagon -obviously stolen- awaited them outside the cave. Sakura was surprised to see it was only late afternoon. They hadn't even been captured a whole day, but because of her chakra drain it felt like forever. She was dumped unceremoniously beside Kakashi in the wagon, as well as the still-injured Hayseed. Kakashi looked better, but still very weak; the poison was one that was quick to act but slow to kill. Sakura felt it summed up its user's sadistic nature pretty well. The man in question was scouting ahead as his lackeys guarded the prisoners. They would have liked to stay where they were for longer, but it wasn't too far from where they had fought the leaf nin. So they were heading for the nearest bounty drop-off as fast as they could without damaging said bounty. At least that was what the fire-user Hiro told her. He was keeping close to the wagon, talking to her as Kakashi dozed. She wished she were brave enough to tell him to go away, but he hadn't actually done more than bother her, even with his master gone. She hunkered down and tried to sleep herself.

Progress was slow, but sure beat walking. Sakura could feel her strength returning and knew she would be almost restored by next morning. The felt Kakashi's clammy forehead and guessed that his recovery would probably take longer, being away from a proper bed and a medic that wasn't wasting her chakra on enemy nin. But he was sleeping more deeply and had some colour back by the time they rolled to a stop. Their new resting place was bare and rocky, providing little cover. Sakura shivered just thinking about sleeping outside in the cold mist that had settled in the night. The earth ninja (who she'd found out was called Tanto) noticed and laughed.

"Think we're gonna leave you outside to freeze and escape?" he scoffed. "We're better hosts than that." Forming a quick series of seals, he caused the rocky outcrop to bend and twist until a cave similar to the one they had been in before appeared.  _Ah._

Sakura didn't even make it to the cell she knew was waiting for her before she was summoned to heal again. Thankfully all the injuries were minor and she still had enough chakra in reserve to keep her healthy. Aoi sat back and watched from a distance as she worked, but got up to walk back with her and Tanto. Sakura trudged beside him in silence, keeping up her meek façade. This bastard would pay, but not right then. Not when she couldn't get Kakashi out too. Sure, Sakura wasn't shackled anymore and was strong enough to knock both shinobi out and run for it. But she wasn't strong enough to take Kakashi with her, and so she was forced to stay and be with him. People who fail missions are trash, but people who abandon their teammates are worse. And she trusted Kakashi not to leave, even if there were a chance he could come back for her.

Lost in thought like she was, she almost walked past the cell. A coat-hanger strike below the ribs stopped her, though. It wasn't the worst she had ever felt, but it did knock the wind out of her and make her resent her captors just a bit more. She had a notoriously short temper, and if they weren't careful she'd say or do something she'd regret. As the wall fell back, she noticed Kakashi was awake and sitting up. He looked relieved to see her and Sakura wasn't surprised. He hadn't seen her leave the cell, or even arrive at it. For all he knew she'd been killed and discarded on the roadside. She pushed her rosy hair behind her ear and gave him a small smile. It turned to a grimace of pain as Aoi's hand shot out and tapped her bruised cheekbone once more. Anger throbbed through her as she slapped his hand away, meeting his cold eyes with her defiant ones.

"Don't touch her," Kakashi growled from within the cell. He had an uncharacteristically angry look in his eyes that Sakura thought was a thousand times scarier than Aoi's smile.

"What can you possibly do about it? You can hardly stand on your own, let alone protect this little blossom." The red-haired man took a step toward him, hand raised.

"Don't touch him!" Sakura shouted, echoing her teacher's previous words. "If you do, I'll not only break every bone in your body, I won't heal them afterward." Her pink hair stood on end like an angry cat's. Her protective instinct was in overdrive, and it was clear her fuse was at its end.

Aoi looked at her in mild surprise. "And here you were being so good," he said almost disappointedly. "We don't need you for a bounty, you know. It would mean nothing to kill you."

Sakura was too far gone to care about his threats. She raised a glowing fist and was about to crush the man's skull, when everything suddenly felt wrong. Her brain felt disconnected from her senses, and blackness was creeping into her nostrils and the corners of her eyes. She coughed, bent double. What was happening to her?

Kakashi had seen the hand seals the young ninja had made, but had never seen their like before. It was clearly doing something to Sakura, though. She looked sick and distressed. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused, and she seemed to be having trouble breathing. Was the man killing her with a genjutsu?

"Sakura?" he said. "Tell me what's happening. Tell me what you see."

Sakura's head snapped up to gaze at his face. She looked confused for a heartbeat, then her green eyes widened and she let out an ear-splitting shriek. Weak as he was, Kakashi leapt up to help her with whatever pain she was going through. But as he drew nearer she backed away, still watching him with horror.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed at him, voice trembling with hate and fear. "Stay away!"

Aoi chuckled, drawing the attention of both Konoha ninjas. Sakura looked at him carefully, not screaming but still unsure.

"Kakashi?" she asked uncertainly.

"That's right- it's me, I'm here." Kakashi took another step toward the girl. Sakura screamed again and leapt behind Aoi, clutching at his shirt. Kakashi couldn't believe what he was seeing. The kunoichi was weeping onto their enemy's low shoulder as he just watched him with that taunting smile of his.

"Kakashi, where the hell are we? And who the hell is that?" Sakura's words were still directed at the other man, and Kakashi was beginning to realise with growing dread what the genjutsu had done to her.

"It's an enemy, Sakura," Aoi's smooth words cut through the air like a malicious knife. He knew he would enjoy the pain his genjutsu would cause. "But he's captive, so there's hardly anything to worry about. Just don't get too close."

 _Hardly anything?_  "As if I would hurt her! I would never hurt that girl, and I'll be damned if I let you either!" Kakashi was generally a very placid man, even in battle. He knew that one man's enemy was another man's ally, and killed quickly and mercifully. But the way this boy was leering at him as he comforted  _his_ teammate- it made the copy-nin want to rip him apart slowly, savouring every cry of pain that passed through those curved lips. He didn't want to kill; he wanted to  _murder_.

He stepped forward slowly, knowing it was practically suicide in his condition, but not caring very much. All he wanted was to cause as much pain to the man as possible. Aoi wasn't moving to defend himself, and he was still fast enough to get a few choice hits in. Kakashi lashed forward with his fist, ready to crush that horrible grin.

But instead of the bony  _crack_  of a jaw breaking, his fist was caught in an open palm with a soft  _thud._ Sakura had moved to place herself between Kakashi and Aoi, protecting the latter with her whole body. She still held her real sensei's curled fingers, and was slowly increasing the strength of her grip. Kakashi had never felt the full force of Sakura's might, but he knew she could easily shatter his hand if she wished. The look of pure venom in her eyes was testament to that fact.

"Don't you dare hurt him," Sakura snarled, finally relaxing her hold and shoving him back. Kakashi staggered, but stayed upright. The whole scene was wrong; Sakura had given him many looks over the years, usually of exasperation or annoyance- but never of mistrust. To see her raising her arms defensively in preparation of a fight, knowing she wasn't simply sparring, left an awful taste in his mouth.

"Not two seconds ago you said you'd never hurt her, then the first thing you do is strike her!" Aoi was watching the two leaf-nin with great amusement. Kakashi's lip curled into a snarl.

"Easy now," Aoi warned. "You don't want to upset her, do you? If she sees you coming for her  _beloved_  sensei again, you might have to fight her properly."

Biting back the stream of abuse he longed to vent at the man, he settled instead for a question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to. "What do _I_  look like to her?"

"You know, I don't actually know." Aoi raised his eyes to the ceiling as though thinking. "She sees you as the embodiment of all the things she fears, and all the people she hates. I'm not sure what you look like specifically, but I can tell you it isn't nice." Combing his fingers through his hair, the man placed his other hand on Sakura's shoulder. Kakashi wanted to rip it off.

"Come on Sakura, let's get out of here. You don't need to be around this monster any longer." He tugged the girl back through the door, signalling for it to close after them. Kakashi felt completely useless as the girl that was meant to be under his protection turned around and walked away from him.  _She follows that man because she thinks it's me,_ Kakashi moaned to himself.  _They're using me against her and her against me._

Sitting back down against the wall, he drew his knees up to his shoulders like Sakura had, trying to think of a plan that didn't involve either of them dying or having to fight each other. Sadly, things looked pretty hopeless. He was still mad at himself for almost hurting the rosy-haired girl; he finally understood how Naruto and Sasuke had felt after nearly killing her during their duel. He would have to bide his time and take comfort in the fact that at least his friend was physically free of her cell, even if she was now trapped in another way.


	7. Chapter 7

"Kakashi, he's staring at me again."

"Just stare back. Show him what you think of people like him."

Sakura tried to look as hateful as she could. The man she glared at was terrifying in appearance; pale skin, long lank hair, slitted eyes with dark circles around them, and an aura that wasn't quite human. She reminded her of so many other horrible faces, but beneath it all there also seemed a hint of sadness that was somehow more unnerving. Finally, she looked away first. She redirected her eyes to the back of the head in front of her. Hiro was that guy's name. He was a fire-user that Kakashi seemed to know. She didn't like his attitude, but she didn't ask questions about why he or any of the other strangers were there. She didn't seem to ask many questions at all anymore. When she encountered something odd or unlikely, her mind simply glossed over and accepted the first explanation Kakashi gave her, no matter how unsatisfactory. Where are we going? _Back to Konoha of course._ Who are these people?  _Old friends of mine from other villages._  Where are the rest of the leaf-nin?  _They went on ahead while you were healing._  Who is our captive? _I'll tell you when we get back._

She usually walked beside the cart with the prisoner as they travelled, and for some reason it felt unbelievably good to be outside. At night she slept in the same room as the others, but a little distance away from them, even Kakashi. He was definitely her old sensei. But for some reason he had become slightly odder, slightly colder than she was used to. She'd say some random joke about Naruto, and he'd laugh like he was clearly expected to. But he never said anything of his own, just agreed with whatever she thought about a subject. And he never read while he walked. Sakura would have thought that the long, boring treks with mere acquaintances would have made him pull out the  _Icha Icha_  books in the first hour. But it had been three days since she could last remember travelling, and he still seemed alert and battle-ready, not sleepy and battle-ready. She had noticed these things, but her feeling of walking under-water meant she hardly even cared about such subtle problems. She healed the people they were with (she couldn't think of them as 'friends' yet) when Kakashi asked her to, and she stayed with them at all times- though she kept pretty quiet. They were heading home apparently, but every piece of signage they passed told her they were heading in the complete opposite direction.

But still she couldn't bring herself to care.

That night there were staying in a cave like the others, but this one was different because it came pre-made. Tanto the earth-man didn't have to do anything, not even seal up the prisoner. They simply tied him up in the corner of the cavern and kept an eye on him. The place itself was hard to find from the outside despite its size, and was filled with an impressive assortment of trinkets, finery, and precious gems and metals. They spilled out of boxes with a variety of stamps and seals from all the nearby countries. She looked to Kakashi quizzically. Why were they here, in a place that screamed 'looter's hideout'? Kakashi gave her a toothy smile, saying "everything will be alright". Immediately Sakura believed him, calming down so much that the smile she returned was soppy and unfocused. The usually-quiet prisoner in the corner made a soft noise that sounded like disgust. Sakura couldn't have cared less about the strange, sad man in the corner. All she wanted was to do whatever Kakashi asked. Anybody who knew Sakura knew that unquestioning loyalty was a tall order when not in battle or a medical situation. Naturally she had always trusted Kakashi's judgement and followed his orders; he was her leader. But at that moment she felt like she would jump off a cliff if he told her to. And she didn't have any weapons on her, either. That was pretty weird…

The others seemed happy about being in the new cave. They were louder and bolder than they were on the road, when they were driven by a kind of urgency that suggested either pursuit or escape. She stood and fidgeted as they went through the trunks, pulling out gold-embossed scrolls and strings of pearls. Kakashi watched them at it, barking the occasional order in an uncharacteristic manner. Hayseed was going through a particularly-large chest made of mahogany, removing its assorted contents carefully and placing them at his feet.

"Hey, look at this!" he said as he held up a short silky robe for the others to see.

"It's not really your type!" Hiro called out from the other side of the room.

"Ha ha," Hayseed laughed sarcastically and threw the yukata to Kakashi. "I meant for the  _girl,_ idiot."

This idea seemed to appeal to the rest of the men. They started leering in a way that made Sakura nervous despite her current Zen attitude. She eyed the summer kimono with slight apprehension. Such a thing looked pretty, but was rather impractical for a kunoichi on a mission. The others stepped in closer and even the prisoner seemed more alert than usual.

"Here: just try it on, Sakura. Your mission clothes must be filthy by now. Wouldn't you prefer a change? You'll look beautiful in it." Kakashi smiled at her and she felt another wave of calm wash around her like a strong perfume. All thoughts of 'it's impractical', 'you know I've worn the same clothes much longer than this before' and 'you never compliment me like that' flew from her head before she'd even worked up a good frown. The dark blue material flowed from Kakashi's hands to hers, and she retreated to another part of the cave maze to put it on. When she returned she felt very pretty, but the leers and whistles of approval also made her feel dirtier than being in her old clothes. She could feel her face redden and she wished they would look away.

Even Kakashi was staring at her. Actually, this didn't surprise her too much. Kakashi  _was_ a pervert, but he was also usually more shy and embarrassed about this sort of thing. At the moment he was staring openly, unafraid to show the desire in his eyes or the contemplative curve in his smile.

The prisoner stirred. His narrow eyes flickered between herself and Kakashi, and this time he looked truly frightening. Sakura backed up a few steps, almost tripping over. What was his problem?

Kakashi, the real Kakashi, had never felt less in control. He had endured Sakura's misplaced looks of disgust, had accepted it when she left him to join the others at night. He knew she was okay for the most part. So he had bided his time, waiting for some sort of opportunity, some crack in the genjutsu. But here, in this place where the enemy was able to relax and let their guard down, they might also feel just as confident in other ways. Kakashi knew it was probably only fear of him that kept Aoi and the others from telling Sakura from doing something that would harm her. But with Sakura looking like a feudal princess, he could hardly blame them for their less-than innocent looks. He wanted so much to help Sakura, but all he could do was make it clear to Aoi that if they so much as thought about thinking about her, he would tear his own self to pieces and be unidentifiable to any bounty collectors.

Aoi understood, and dropped the hand that was reaching out for the girl's shoulder. Sakura's eyes were glazed and oblivious. Aoi told her to sit, so she did. The others were told to sit away from her, and they did (albeit grudgingly). Kakashi was soon joined by the man who stood, arms crossed in front of him, obscuring the pink-and-blue girl from view.

"You're lucky she doesn't think of you that way, or I'd have had her long ago," Aoi purred. He leaned forward until Kakashi could have touched him were his hands not bound. "But once we've dropped you off at the collection point, I think I might keep her awhile longer. No sense wasting something so beautiful. At least, not until I've had my fun." He didn't smile except with his eyes, and Kakashi could feel his own widening in horror at his words. The man's voice was little more than a whisper when he next spoke. "Before she dies, I'm going to make your face the thing she hates and fears the most. She, who trusted you  _so_ much, will die at your hands. Or so she will think." Aoi loved how easy it was to hurt this man. He wondered if he would be as easy to control if they held any other teammate against him. Would he be as scared for the shinobi on his team as he was for this kunoichi? He doubted it. It was sheer luck that the medic was also the key to subduing the famous copy-nin. He and the others could kill two birds with one stone, and use his genjutsu to have their own fun from it.

Kakashi felt as though he had been released from a genjutsu himself when the man finally walked away. His words still stung his ears, and not for the first time he wondered where the search party was, or if there even was one. They didn't have much time, and would be at the border before long. After that, they would never be heard from again. If only he could free Sakura, she might be able to get away on her own. It was him they wanted really, and he could agree to co-operate if they agreed to not pursue her. But how was he to achieve it? Kakashi had sometimes seen small flickers of subconscious chagrin cross Sakura's face in the past few days. But no emotion had been strong enough to make her see clearly, and he even though he had seen Sakura break free of mental constraints before (Ino's mind-swap technique had been no match for her), he wasn't sure she would be able to this time. She had just turned twenty, and now she would die a horrible death. That couldn't be the end, could it? Your twentieth birthday was meant to be the start, the first step to achieving what your really wanted from life. If ninja weren't jounin before then, twenty was the ideal age to consider it. Sakura could even have made ANBU one day if she wanted it. There had to be something that would make her break the genjutsu.

And suddenly it came to Kakashi.

"Hey, Tanto," he called to the large man who was now poring over a map nearby, "Aren't you bored? Don't you wish there was something to entertain you?"

"Well we can't get the girl to entertain us, or you'll cut yourself up." Tanto grunted, gazing wistfully over at Sakura, who hadn't moved.

"She can't entertain you in the way you'd like, but I've thought of something else she can do that I don't have a problem with." Kakashi hoped he could convince him.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" The big man sounded sceptical.

"Well, back in Konoha, Sakura has a nickname. People call her the 'Cherry Nightingale'." He was making this up as he went, but he thought it sounded plausible. "It's not because of any special jutsu, it's because she has the sweetest singing voice in the whole city. She could have been a famous musician if she hadn't chosen the life of a ninja." The silver-haired man raised his eyes to the ceiling, as if reliving some fond memory. "She's an angel, alright. Some music might really liven up the place, and it'd certainly curb my suicidal tendencies." His eyes returned the other man's face, giving him a significant look.  _Go on, go tell the others._

Tanto considered it. There didn't seem to be anything to lose. Probably the Sharingan-user was just trying to exercise some sort of control, showing he could get the others to do what he wanted. But the others would get to exercise control over the girl, so what was the problem? And some music really would liven up this stagnant cave…

It took less than a minute for Tanto to get up and whisper something in Aoi's ear. The young man looked over at Kakashi, who stared back innocently. Finally, he gave a curt nod. Calling the others to attention, he turned to face Sakura.

"Sakura," he said clearly and confidently, "how about you sing for us?"

"I don't sing," she replied promptly.

Aoi's eyes narrowed. "Sing for us, Sakura. You have such a nice voice."

"I don't sing." Sakura's forehead creased ever so slightly. Why was Kakashi asking her to sing? She didn't sing, not ever.

"Sing!" The man's face was changing colour to match his hair. It was clear he was concentrating on something.

Sakura could feel calm and obedience crash over her like waves. Everything screamed at her to sing, but she couldn't bring herself to open her mouth. She felt annoyed more than anything else. Kakashi had been there when Ino had talked about singing. He had heard her say she didn't like to do it, but the very next day she had caught him trying to hear her. Kami, she had felt so angry at him after that. But she had felt even more betrayed when he had been too cowardly to confront her again afterward. Then they had finally met up again with that mission. Wait- it was this mission. They had been after rogue ninjas with Naruto and Sai. They had been caught. Then what?

All the questions she had ignored over the last few days suddenly flooded her mind. What the hell was happening? She moaned aloud, gripping her head as her confusion and anger broke the neat little walls of the genjutsu.  _I don't sing… I don't know these people… I don't know what's happened to Kakashi…_

Her head snapped up to gaze at the man she had thought was her old sensei. He still looked like him, but the image was wavering and wrong. His eyes were wide with shock at her actions, and his mouth was slightly parted as though about to speak. She gasped as she realised- eyes! She could see both of them, and neither were the blood-red of the Sharingan. In fact, the only thing reddish about the man was his hair, which should have been silver but looked sunset-streaked. And he didn't have a mask. And his jaw seemed too square. And he wasn't her sensei at all.

"You- you're not-" she tried to say, as the roaring in her ears blocked out the low growls and cries of surprise around her. Questions were answering themselves as she looked around at the shinobi she had travelled with, and the feeling of mild unease she had felt intensified to its natural terror. These were her  _enemies._ Green eyes wide and glistening with desperation, she spun on the spot, desperately searching for her ally. He had been here; he had been here with her. And suddenly, with a jolt, he was clear to her. There was nothing in his face she hated or feared anymore. He was utterly and completely her Kakashi. But he was still just as tied up as the prisoner she had thought him to be. He struggled against his bonds, but called to her more urgently. "Sakura! Get out of here!" He motioned toward the cave's entrance, his eye pleading. "Just go!"

"What about you?!" she yelled as she side-stepped a punch and broke free of the ring of attackers surrounding her.

"Forget me! Just get out of here!" Kakashi bellowed. He had to make her see that there was no hope for him, but there was still a slim chance of her safety.

Sakura knew what he meant for her to do. He wanted her to leave him, and save herself. But even if she got away and found help, Kakashi would be whisked away before she could return for him. So she couldn't leave without him. She wouldn't.

Forcing chakra to her fists, she fought with unrestrained ferocity. Shinobi were backing away as she forced her way over to Kakashi. Breaking his bonds was easy, like ripping paper. He watched her, open-mouthed beneath his mask. A blow to her side made her turn around and face her attackers once more. They couldn't have him. They couldn't take him away again, or make her feel the guilt she felt at abandoning him the first time. If she couldn't leave with him, then she wouldn't leave.

She fought tooth and nail, keeping them away from her weakened friend, and trying in vain to clear a path for them. She knew they were holding back, not even using chakra-based moves against her. They knew they had them. They had always had them. All her little stunt had done was show they couldn't keep transporting them alive. It would be quicker for them to take one corpse than two prisoners. She could see this too, and she felt horrible for forcing their decision with her outburst. Even though she wanted to keep hitting them until they died, even though it went against all her instincts, she stopped, letting her arms rest at her side. A final blow knocked her out cold, but she was glad. There was no need for haste when your victim was unconscious. Rather than just kill her in the heat of battle, they might prolong it enough to execute her later, when they could enjoy themselves. So she fell back against Kakashi's chest with barely a sigh, wondering vaguely if she would ever wake up again…


	8. Chapter 8

She did wake. She was outside, with the cruel night air whipping her into consciousness. Her hands and legs were caught in rock, and she stood as though crucified. A warm body was at her back, trapped by the stone ninja in the same way she was. Kakashi was alive for now, at least. He was also awake; responding to her gasps and struggles with a typically calm air.

"Won't help," he told her. "The rock leeches chakra, so don't bother trying to punch out either." He sounded so composed, even though he had been screaming at her to run not long ago. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see the thugs with their lit torches and bloodthirsty grins. They had already planned to relax that night, so an execution it would be; with drinking and feasting to accompany their torment. After the others had enjoyed the food and sake enough and grown sick of the half-moon night, they would kill their prisoners like some sort of after-dinner show. With a shiver Sakura realised she was still wearing the yukata, and her milky legs were almost frozen numb. She shook with cold, and Kakashi twisted in a vain attempt to see her properly.

"I'm so sorry for this," she whispered.

"Don't be sorry! This isn't your fault," Kakashi reassured her, trying to show her his smile.

"If I hadn't fought them- if I'd thought things through, then we wouldn't be about to die. If I'd just done what he told me, I'd never have broken out in the first place."

"Then I'm glad you didn't do what he said. I'm glad you were able to break out of that genjutsu, even if it means we're gonna die now rather than later. At least you see me for what I am, and not for what that man wanted you to see." Kakashi spoke with such vehemence, Sakura couldn't doubt his words.

"Of course by your refusing I'll never get to hear you sing…" Kakashi added with mock regret.

Sakura actually giggled. "You idiot- why are you so hung up on me singing?"

"Well, why don't you sing if you can? If you do have a gift, why not use it?"

Sakura thought about how to word her answer. "I guess I don't sing for the same reason I didn't punch those guys until the end. Because until they saw my chakra like that, all they saw was a little girl who can heal, but probably can't fight worth a damn."

"You do it to be underestimated?" Kakashi clarified.

"Well, yeah. I know my voice is annoying sometimes," Sakura grimaced with embarrassment as she said this, "but why should I have to prove to everyone else that it can sound nice? It helps make me just as underestimated, so I only sing when I really have to; just like my chakra punches when I'm outnumbered."

Kakashi considered this for a moment before nodding slowly. "Makes sense. But seeing as we're totally going to die anyway, do you think the last I thing I hear could be your voice?" Kakashi was glad his back was to her so he didn't have to look her in the eye.

Sakura blushed; feeling like Hinata did around Naruto. "I don't know what to sing," she said shyly.

"Sing anything you like," Kakashi encouraged, "Whatever will make you feel better."

"You're not allowed to laugh," she warned.

"Trust me; I'm not in a laughing mood."

Sakura took a deep breath, trying to block out the talk around her. They were quieting down, which meant she and Kakashi would soon be dead. So why not sing? It did make her feel better, and it was only Kakashi she was opening up to. She never wanted to be underestimated by him anyway. She'd wanted to prove that she was strong and capable, that she turned out just as good as Naruto and Sasuke. She wanted him to see her for what she was, and she wanted him to be the last person she sang for.

And so she straightened her back as best she could under the circumstances, licked her lips and gave up her last secret.

Team Recovery had been chasing the swift rogues for days, and it finally seemed they were catching up. Shino's bugs didn't stray as far from the group as they did before, and Kiba said their scent and tracks were fresher. Hinata hadn't been able to spot them yet, but the hilly area made it difficult for her. And so they were all still hoping. They were so close; they  _had_ to reach them in time. But the closer they got to the others, the closer the others got to the border and freedom. That was why the Konoha ninja pushed forward without pause, sprinting at full speed to retrieve their friends and punish their captors. And they were well and truly snapping at their heels by now. The moon afforded limited visibility for attack, but at least they were all more ready for confrontation than their enemies would be. It would happen as soon as they could get a clear indication of their location…

Kiba and Akamaru would have been at the front of the group had their group not included an impatient Naruto. As it was they came second, scouting out suspicious scents and sounds before they became problems for the rest of them. Their sensitive canine ears were alert for the sound of footsteps, flying kunai and the clash of metal. But the sound that met their ears was none of those, and caught them completely unawares.

" _You said if you could fly, you'd never come back down…"_ The voice was still a little way's away, but it was clear and pure and sort-of familiar to the boy and dog.

"… _You only have eyes for that blue, blue sky."_

Kiba held up his hand for the others to quiet. "I can hear singing up ahead. It might be them."

"Singing?" Shizune and the others were puzzled, but still sped up. They must be close.

" _You've yet to learn what sadness is, and are now just grasping what pain is like. Even the feelings I have for you must be expressed in words…"_

"I can hear it!" Ino cried from further back in the group. "That's definitely Sakura!"

"Well I guess she really can sing then," Kiba decided as the others strained their ears to hear the notes that echoed around the mountainous forest.

" _They're okay, they're okay…_ " Naruto was chanting the words under his breath like a mantra. Though usually the most laid-back (apart from Shikamaru), it was clear the danger to his teammates was having an intense effect. Hinata was close and observant enough to notice this, and gave him a brief smile and even briefer pat on the shoulder as they both sprang from the same branch.

"They  _are_ okay, Naruto," Hinata assured him, ignoring her bright red cheeks. "I can see it."

" _As you awake from a dream into an unknown world, spread your wings and take flight!"_

Sakura found it did help to sing. It quickly drew the attention of the brutish shinobi around her, but she got over any nervousness about that after awhile. She had accepted that when her song ended, so would their lives. But she continued to sing at the same tempo, leaning her head back against Kakashi's and staring up at the starry heavens.

" _You said if you could fly, you'd never come back down. You only have eyes for that blue, blue sky. You know if you can just make it through, you'll find what you seek. So keep trying to break free, to that blue, blue sky…"_

Kakashi's shifted his head to place it beside hers.

" _To that blue, blue sky…"_

She could feel the soft fabric of his mask against her forehead.

" _To that blue, blue sky…"_

Her last note faded and died on the cool autumn wind, and for a moment nobody moved. Then the others began to shake themselves from their reverie, moving forward once more. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and tried to bury her face in Kakashi's flossy hair. God, she hoped they killed her first. She knew it was a morbid thought, but she didn't think she could bear seeing Kakashi,  _her_ Kakashi, killed beside her. And he  _had_  become her Kakashi. During that horrible time she realised she cared for him; wanted to protect him just as much as he protected her. She even-

The touch of cold steel at her neck made her gasp, and she inhaled Kakashi's soft, sweet scent. She could have sighed with relief had she not been terrified at the prospect of dying at twenty. It would be quick, it would be painless. It would be before him.

"Sayonara, Kakashi-san," she whispered into the Jounin's ear. Her voice was calm and she refused to let the others see a single tear. Crying on her sensei's shoulder was the old Sakura.

Aoi was the one holding the blade to her neck. He was still smiling, but she couldn't see it.

"It seems you were The Cherry Nightingale after all," he mused.

She didn't know what that meant, but she didn't care; and not just because of some genjutsu this time.

The cut lengthened and she bit down on her lip and tried to stop Kakashi struggling before he dislocated his shoulder. "Won't work, remember?" She told him.

"Doesn't mean I'll stop trying," Kakashi shot back, voice rough.  _Not his Sakura…_

The death-stroke never came; Aoi's hand sprang away with a kunai in it. The clearing was raining knives, and then other ninjas. The Leaf-nin struck the bandits with a speed and ferocity that was frankly terrifying. Kakashi gazed at the scene in front of him, unable to believe his eye until the Earth-user fell and his rocky restraints crumbled. Sakura and he dropped to the ground and weakly tried to get circulation back in their limbs. The fight was short and fierce and practically ended before it had begun. Naruto and Kiba the brawlers swept up the stragglers with ease. Sakura almost felt put-out that the others had accomplished the task so easily, when not only had they failed before; but actually gotten captured in the process. But she knew they had not been fighting to save their friends then, and adrenaline and rage was probably doing most of the fighting now. The last ninja fell and it wasn't even Aoi; for all his words and skills, he had died just as easily as his comrades. Only when safety was completely assured did Sakura allow herself to feel all the emotions she had been to block before.

They had come for them after all.

"Oh, Sakura!" Ino dropped to her knees in front of her friend and hugged her tightly. As she did, she poured a little of her strengthening chakra into the girl's back. Sakura returned the embrace, letting tears splash onto Ino's purple shirt as the shoulder of her own robe grew moist with hers.

"I knew you'd come for me," she managed to say as Ino sobbed. Neither of them were acting like the twenty year-old ninjas they were meant to be out in the field, but some things were just more important sometimes. The two had had their ups and downs together, but it didn't change the fact that Ino was thanking every god she knew that Sakura had been found in time. Kakashi too, of course.

"Sakura!" Naruto cried, elated. As the pair broke apart Sakura felt herself swept off the ground and into a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Naruto," Sakura wheezed, trying to keep her robe in a modest position. She staggered when he put her down, and put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself.

"Hey," she said, grinning at him and the others who had come for them.  _Her friends, her teammates_. Kiba and Shizune were clapping Kakashi on the back, Hinata was actually smiling without blushing, and Shino was collecting the kunai that could be reused.

"We thought we were gonna be too late for awhile there," Kiba remarked, leaning against Akamaru as though it were just another day in Konoha.

"No we didn't; we knew you guys would have each others' backs," Naruto defended. He'd never admit to any doubts he might have had, and Hinata would never tell.

The two liberated ninja met each others' eyes. They  _had_ had each others' backs, when it had counted most. Kakashi wasn't sure why he suddenly felt embarrassed about it though. He looked away first, though he wanted for those green eyes to tell him she was okay.

"Was that really you singing, Sakura?" Sai asked suddenly. Everybody paused to listen as Sakura blanched.

"Yeah, it was. Are you gonna make up some random insult about it?" she remembered enough of her first meeting with Sai to be wary of any opinions he might share. Her jaw tilted defensively.

"No. I was just going to say that you sang well," Sai never lost his placid nature.

The others relaxed, glad that Sakura hadn't exploded so soon after being rescued.

"Well, we should head back to Konoha as soon as possible," Shizune began, all-business now. "The Hokage will want to know you are safe."

"Just a second," Sakura cried, trotting off from the clearing as the others dealt with the enemy bodies. She trudged up the hill to the small opening, slipping inside. Kakashi watched her go, wondering what she was doing. Was she going to collect some of the treasure, or just knock the walls down and bury it all? He leaned against a tree to wait for her. The others didn't bother asking him to help; he had done his fair share for awhile.

The jounin thought about what it would be like getting back to civilisation. The days of captivity had felt like weeks, and he wasn't sure it would be as easy as going to the hospital for a few days. He was worried about Sakura for one thing. That had been her first time as a prisoner, and she had the extra horror of being a prisoner of the mind. He was also worried that he  _was_  worried about Sakura. He had never really been scared for her before. Not because he had been confident in her skills, but because she always had Sasuke or Naruto or himself to take the worst of what came their way. But now he was feeling more than just concern for a teammate. Even though they were safe now, he still felt an ache when she left his sight. It was probably just guilt over letting her get caught, right? He refused to admit to himself that it was anything more than that.

"I'm back," Sakura called. She had changed the silky blue robe for her normal, dirty, lovely mission clothes. Tightening her forehead protector, she nodded to Shizune and they began to move out. Allowing the breeze to clear her head, she tried to resist the urge to glance back at Kakashi. Her feelings for him had just been because they were about to die. Breaking the genjutsu had made her emotions come back stronger than ever, so she had felt things that were never there. Like how Kakashi could make her smile even when they were both so totally doomed. Or how he could be so fast and deadly in a fight, but still hold her so gently when she was terrified and lost. He made her feel nervous and protected and mature and beautiful. But when they returned to Konoha she would have to force those feelings down or they would make things awkward between them. There was no way the famous copy-nin could feel the same about her, anyway.

"You changed your clothes," said copy-nin noted as he drew level beside her. Blushing, caught in the act of thinking about him, she kept her eyes forward and took on an all-business tone.

"Of course I did. You think I was going to go back to Konoha in that blue thing?"

"I _liked_  that blue thing." Kakashi said before his internal-editor could stop him. Sakura's blush deepened and he fought to remember whatever he had actually wanted to say. "I just meant it was a nice yukata, is all. Obviously your mission clothes are more practical." At this rate he was going to say something he wouldn't be able to take back, and everything would become weird between them. She had leant against him because he was the only one around. She had pressed her cherry-blossom hair against his cheek because she had thought they were both going to die. She couldn't be reading anything into that now, if she ever had. She was twenty and well on her way to surpassing him one day. She didn't have to know her old pervy sensei was looking at her with more affection than he ever had before.

But she seemed to know anyway, because she placed her hand in his as they ran. And he left it there. He hoped it would never leave there, because that seemed to be where it belonged. She squeezed his gloved fingers and suddenly Hatake Kakashi had Hope; a terrifying sort of Hope that demands you place your entire heart on the line for it. But he let it stay, too. For how could this be wrong? How could  _they_  be wrong, when they had known each other for six years in every relationship conceivable? The future was just offering them both the chance to be something more to one another.

He had heard her song, and realised he had been singing its harmony his whole life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI the song is "Bluebird" by Ikimono Gakari, and you may recognise it as one of the theme tunes from Shippuden. Thanks for reading! This is an older piece that I moved over from my fanfiction.net account, so there's a lot I'd like to improve one day...


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